The school is to be sited on a playing field site in Redland

The city council wants to build a new secondary school on playing fields in the Redland area of the city.

And now the plans have been given the go-ahead by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) - which has also approved a �7m grant.

The school will cater for 1,345 pupils, as well as hearing impaired pupils and those with learning difficulties.

Known as the North Bristol Institute, it will be paid for by the DfES, the Learning Skills Council and the city council.

The decision to build the new school was made last month despite concerns from parents the site was too small.

Councillors had twice turned down proposals to build primary schools on the fields, which are in a conservation area.

Plans for the school are part of a huge shake-up of education services in the city.

Exam results in Bristol are among the lowest in the country and many parents send their children to school outside the area.

Boost standards

The council hopes a series of measures, including the new school, will help reverse this trend.

Peter Hammond, deputy leader of Bristol City Council, said: "The government's decision to back the plans to build a new secondary school in the north of the city is very welcome news indeed.

"There is some way to go before this latest piece in the council's plans to drive up educational standards across the city can be put in place, but, after much hard work the goal is now in sight."

Paul May, executive director of the West of England Learning Support Council, said: "This is exciting news. The new institute is a key element in our plans to reorganise and improve post-16 education in Bristol. "